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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23524381">and maybe I was worth it all along</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firefly_Aki/pseuds/Firefly_Aki'>Firefly_Aki</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Katekyou Hitman Reborn!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Timoteo can go die now thanks, What-If</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:41:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>908</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23524381</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firefly_Aki/pseuds/Firefly_Aki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p><i>Wow!</i> A faint, child-like voice calls. <i>Namimori hasn't changed a bit~</i></p>
</blockquote><p>Inspired by anon commenter <i>H</i> on Chapter 33 of Sass and Win.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sawada Inari &amp; Young Sawada Inari</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>237</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>and maybe I was worth it all along</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlligatorEyes/gifts">AlligatorEyes</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/20004889">Sass and Win</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlligatorEyes/pseuds/AlligatorEyes">AlligatorEyes</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><i>H</i>'s full comment, and the parts that inspired me:</p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <s>first of all, get rekt timoteo 2k20</s>
  </p>
  <p>but also <b>what if xanxus stole the kid!inari timoteo is toting around with</b> <s>and kid!inari is the one controlling the big robot willingly bc he thought it would be a fun thing to do</s> <b>&amp; kid!inari and xanxus bonded bc aside from timoteo they were the only one able to see the other for the past years.</b> <s>and it is really funny to picture tsuna and inari &amp; gang unmasking the giant robot scooby-doo style only to discover....... it was INARI ALL ALONG! but like the other one</s></p>
  <p> <b>and it would be really fucked up if kid!inari like developed his own consciousness and thoughts and feelings despite being like a ghost at best or something along those lines and now he doesn’t want to merge with the original inari.</b><br/><s>if they figured out a way to make sure neither is in pain about it and kid!inari has a corporal form i can see op working that angle, and it would also have the added bonus of inari having like a clone walking around and all the potential hilarity it could bring to the table</s><br/></p>
</blockquote><p>LISTEN. This comment ruined me and now I have to inflict it on all of you.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><i>Wow!</i> A faint, child-like voice calls. <i>Namimori hasn't changed a bit~</i></p><p>I can see the party's faces twist with confusion. Xanxus, though, seems like he's aged. The lines under his eyes are deeper, darker, and his mouth curls downwards. Squalo looks like he's about to start shouting.</p><p>They don't see him yet. But I do.</p><p>A small boy with little blond spikes and wide, bright eyes. He isn't fully there, flickering at the edges of this reality, but it's enough to make me blanch.</p><p>"No," Tsuna breathes, hands trembling. Takeshi's face spasms with something like horror. "<i>Inari?"</i></p><p>I don't say anything, still fixated on <i><b>him</b></i>.</p><p>There's a tug on a string that I didn't even know was there.</p><p>Reborn shoots me a questioning look but I can tell he's beginning to put it together by the way his melody crescendos.</p><p>The tug compels me to take a step forward. Then another, and another. The little boy gets more solid with each step.</p><p>Two steps away and I hear gasps and shouting from behind me.</p><p>I don't see it but Takeshi stutters to a stop and the hand he was holding out drops. Tsuna's staff tumbles from limp hands.</p><p>I'm not aware of anything but the blood roaring in my ears and the sound of a FAMILIAR <b>DRUM</b>.</p><p>Little me locks eyes with mine and I find myself sinking to my knees a step away.</p><p><i>Was I always this small!?</i> I think semi-hysterically.</p><p>"You can see me!" he gasps, and the rage I feel towards Timoteo threatens to cloud my vision. "What am I saying— of course you can see me, it would be weird if you couldn't, " he babbles. Then he gives a brilliant, Sky-filled smile, "You're me after all!"</p><p>And something occurs to me: this is what I could have been. Something gentler than this broken, jagged thing I turned myself into.</p><p>I try to smile back but it probably ends up more like a grimace.</p><p>His smile falters in response. His gold amber eyes are knowing and I choke under the weight of them.</p><p>"You've been through a lot haven't you?" In that moment, his voice echoes from miles away and he sways to an unseen wind. There's something old and immeasurable in his eyes.</p><p>"You too," I manage, voice hoarse.</p><p>Mini me blinks, trance broken. He looks like his age again.</p><p>He looks deep into my eyes, into my soul, and I feel the connection bloom into place. His eyes start to water and so do mine.</p><p>He brings a hand up to rub one eye, nose scrunching, before collapsing into my arms, sobbing.</p><p>My eyes are burning.</p><p>"I was so scared," he wails, and I heavily consider breaking down right along with him. Instead, I just hold him.</p><p>I hold him.</p><p>I hold him because he hasn't been held since that awful fucking day ten years ago.</p><p>His corporealness fluctuates the longer he stays in my arms, and I don't want to think about it.</p><p>I don't want to think about this little me who never got to live past double digits, who never had the chance to grow up with Tsu and Takeshi and Mama.</p><p>I don't want to think about how he's clearly aware and alive despite being some kind of force ghost and how he's starting to <i>cease</i> in my arms.</p><p>Eventually, his cries peter off and he raises his head to look at me. I can feel the phantom sensation of little blond hairs tickling my chin. That's enough to make me cry again.</p><p>"I don't want to go," he says, voice infinitely small but in silence, everyone hears it. "I don't want to die, not—" <i>again</i>.</p><p>I stare into eyes just like my own. "Then you don't have to." I tell him. "You can stay as you are, I- I <i>swear</i>." My voice cracks. I'm still crying.</p><p>Little Inari is quiet for a moment. His eyes drift past my face, over my shoulder, and I hear Tsuna make a sound like his heart is being wretched from his throat.</p><p>I press on. "You don't have to go; you can stay here, with us. You'll... you'll never be alone again." His eyes focus back on me. They're clear, and so, so alive.</p><p>"You're broken," he says, high pitched and child-like, bright orange-gold eyes searing. "You're in pieces; held together with green fire and Will.</p><p>"No," he nods to himself, smiling, "one of us should have a happy ending, you know?"</p><p>With that, little me fades from sight but I can still feel him. I can feel the fire he left behind for me.</p><p>I stand, cloaked with soft orange light. It flares, the glow seeping around me to the rest of the party.</p><p>Tsuna keens, long and mournful, and reaches out to touch one of the tendrils wrapping around him like a hug.</p><p>I feel our bond growing, strengthening. It almost feels like how it was before.</p><p>A tendril makes its way to Reborn, bobbing and weaving in front of him, saying hello with a happy tune. A violin plays, light and carefree, in greeting.</p><p>I glimpse one circling Shamal and another dancing around Takeshi. A tendril weaves itself around Xanxus, a quiet and gentle warmth; it feels like a goodbye, and a wish for better things.</p><p>A child's laughter rings, bringing a smile to whomever would listen.</p><p><i>Nice to meet you, see you later,</i> the flames trill.</p><p>And disappears.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Love you, Ali ♡</p><p> <s>everyone pls ignore the fact that it took me over two weeks to come up with a title</s></p><p>Edit Nov. 2020: This was written before we got to see little Inari in-story. So, you know. The eyes.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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